Top Marine Addresses Murder Probe
General 'Gravely Concerned' By Haditha Civilian Murder Accusations
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Play CBS Video Video Premeditated Murder In Iraq? Several U.S. Marines are suspected of killing two dozen Iraqis in Haditha. But as David Martin reports, that's not the only incident involving Marines now under investigation.
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Video Rice On Iraq, Iran & Haditha Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joined "Face The Nation" to discuss the terror suspects arrested in Canada, the war in Iraq, the Haditha massacre and the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran.
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Video Time Reporter On Haditha "Face The Nation" host Bob Schieffer asked reporter Michael Duffy how Time magazine got the scoop on the Haditha massacre and what's to come from the Pentagon investigation.
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Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. Michael Hagee gestures during a Pentagon news conference on June 7, 2006, during which he talked about his recent trip to Iraq. (AP)
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Video taken by an Iraqi human rights group shows the aftermath of an alleged massacre by U.S. Marines in Haditha, Iraq. (Hammurabi Human Rights Group)
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Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called the killings "a horrible crime," his strongest public comments on the incident since his government was sworn in May 20.
"This is a phenomenon that has become common among many of the multinational forces," al-Maliki said. "No respect for citizens, smashing civilian cars and killing on a suspicion or a hunch. It's unacceptable."
Al-Maliki's remarks appeared to lend credibility to complaints by Iraqis of what they see as U.S. troops' cultural insensitivity and disregard for Iraqi lives. To many Iraqis, the soldiers are occupiers seeking to control the country's oil wealth.
CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports too many Iraqis have seen raids on their homes and too many security operations gone wrong — like the death earlier this week of a pregnant woman who was killed when the car rushing her to the maternity hospital accidentally drove up a road closed by U.S. forces.
Hagee said he would wait until the Haditha and Hamdaniya criminal investigations are completed before he would remove any commanders from their posts. "I am waiting for those investigations to be complete so that I can understand actually what happened, both on the ground and within the chain of command," he said.
Noting the growing public speculation about the case, Hagee urged patience as investigators complete their work.
"We intend to keep you informed to the fullest extent possible without interfering with the legal process," he said.
Hagee said no one should doubt that the allegations will be fully and fairly investigated.
"As commandant I am gravely concerned about the serious allegations concerning actions of some Marines at Haditha and Hamdaniya," he said. "I can assure you that the Marine Corps takes them seriously."
"As commandant I am the one accountable for organization, training and equipping of Marines," he added. "I am responsible and I take these responsibilities quite seriously."
Hagee, who is due to complete his four-year tenure as Marine commandant this year, traveled last week to Iraq to reinforce the importance of adhering to Corps standards of behavior.
At his news conference he said he was pleased to find that "their morale is really quite high," despite concerns about the atrocity allegations.
The commandant said he plans to make additional trips, to Marine bases in California, Hawaii and Japan, to deliver the same message.
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